1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to child monitoring systems, and more specifically, to a multi-piece electronic child monitoring device, adapted for monitoring real-time environmental images of a lost child within a certain area or domain, or at an extended distance, using microminiaturized GPS technology.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of child monitoring devices have been devised for maintaining surveillance on children, for example, who wander from a particular area or domain. It has become increasingly difficult for parents and/or guardians to monitor a single child or groups of children by human effort alone. The increase of lost children in shopping malls, play areas, or area kidnapping, within the United States alone has been cause for developing auxiliary measures or devices for parents or guardians to detect and retrieve children who have left a particular area. The advent of these devices began with the rudimentary methods of announcing over a loud speaker, particularly in shopping malls, that a child has been found and is at a particular location for pickup by a parent or guardian.
Most of the conventional child monitoring devices utilize this principle with electronic devices that transmit signals from a child to a receiver or monitor within a certain range. The transmitter is usually attached to a child via bracelet, shoe, etc. for tracking by a remote monitor. An alarm or other audible means is typically disposed within the monitor to signify when the child, pet, or other object has gone beyond a predetermined area or range.
One significant problem with the conventional child monitoring devices is the difficulty in actually locating the child or object beyond a specific range. Signal strength monitors have been used in this particular case, but these devices have long suffered signal interferences which mislead or become distorted to adequately aid in a parent or guardian finding the actual location of a child or object.
Often environmental xe2x80x9clandmarksxe2x80x9d are essential to a parent or guardian, especially in a familiar surrounding, for enabling quick and easy retrieval of a child accordingly. For potentially life threatening circumstances, a safe and accurate child monitoring device which has the capability to provide real-time monitoring as a remote family monitoring measure is lacking among most of the conventional child monitoring devices.
For example, U.S. Design Pat. No. 345,314 issued to Chandra discloses an ornamental design for a combined transmitter and receiver having a substantially rectangular shape and a means for hooking or attaching both the transmitter and receiver elements to the belt of a user""s pants. Apertures which appear to be a means for transmitting and receiving audio signals are disposed within a front bottom surface of the structure. A switch having a knurled surface is disposed within a side surface, perhaps for activating and deactivating the device. U.S. Design Pat. No. 354,973 issued to Hisatune, et al., illustrates another ornamental design for a surveillance video camera. The camera is disposed within a central portion of a triangular-shaped or pyramidal-shaped structure or housing for obtaining visual images of an object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,291 issued to Hawthorne discloses a distance monitor for child surveillance having an unmodulated radio frequency transmitter carried by or affixed to the person to be monitored, and a receiver monitor located at a remote location for providing a visual color coded and/or audible signal in direct proportion to the received transmitted signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,135 issued to Ghahariran discloses a child monitoring device utilizing an ultra-sonic or radio frequency monitoring system comprising a transmitting unit carried by the child and receiving unit carried by the child""s guardian. The receiving unit alerts the guardian when the child strays beyond a predescribed distance. The device is primarily an audible transmitting device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,281 and 5,111,290, both issued to Guitierrez, disclose a surveillance device wherein a miniature television surveillance camera capable of transmitting signals to a monitor is mounted in a mannequin so that a lens portion has a desired field of view. The lens is disposed in the iris and pupil of at least one eye. The device does not provide transmitted signals from an object to the camera disposed within the mannequin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,223 issued to Moody discloses a personnel location monitoring system and method employing a band attached to an individual that has a pressure actuated tamper indicator disposed thereon in the form of a latch, and a monitoring/tracking unit which indicates whether an individual has left a predetermined area. When the latch is open, pressure is removed and the transmitter is rendered inoperative or indicates that the band has been removed from the subject. An audible alarm also signals when the individual has moved beyond a certain range. Other signals such as a smoke detected signal and a satellite signal are monitored to obtain signals which indicate hazardous building or room conditions and positional data respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,290 issued to Murray et al. discloses a mobile perimeter monitoring system comprising a battery powered transmitter adapted to be placed upon a person. The person or user carriers a receiver which responds to a code transmitted by the transmitter and provides an in-range or out-of-range indication. A visual image of the person within a specific environment is not performed; rather, a visual alarm signal is depicted when the user or person has gone beyond a specific range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,163 issued to Perez et al. discloses a child monitoring and locating device comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed in circular arrangement within a surface of a hand-held receiver for indicating a specific direction in which an object can be located. A transmitter is attached to a child for transmitting a radio signal to the receiver within a predetermined range. When the child is beyond the predetermined range the signal becomes weak and an audible signal is made in the form of a beep or vibration. The directional range is based on a 360xc2x0 directional circle.
Foreign publications by Jong-Wu (GB 2121219) and Heister et al. (EP 0335467) disclose circuit elements for shoes or footwear. The circuits are configured to measure the number of steps made by a user and provide audible sounds in the form of music or simulate light signals to be seen by others respectively.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The child monitoring system according to the invention includes an electronic bracelet, camera assembly and monitor or receiver for tracking and providing audible and visual contact with a child or object within a certain area or domain. The bracelet is releasably attached to the wrist or ankle of a user and transmits signals for detection by a remote hand-held or belt worn receiver. A camera assembly is also attached to a user via a clothing article such as a button or pocket to obtain and transmit video signals to the monitor.
The monitor receives a plurality of signals which indicates at least three conditions. The first condition is signaled by an audible alarm which is activated when a child or object has gone beyond a predetermined area or range. The second condition is detected via a two-way speaker which allows for direct communication with the child, and the third condition is detected by the video camera and displayed via a video monitor disposed within a surface of the receiver. The bracelet includes a locking mechanism and circuitry for two way-speaker communication or monitoring. A plastic sleeve is also provided for the bracelet as a protective covering.
In another, longer distance monitor embodiment of the invention, microminiaturized GPS technology is employed, including a GPS transmitter/receiver attached to the child""s clothing, and a GPS information receiver including a selective switch activated indicator giving latitude/longitude readouts for child location.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a child monitoring system for real-time tracking and monitoring.
It is another object of the invention to provide a portable child monitoring system which remotely relays environmental images or landmarks within the vicinity a lost child.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a child monitoring system which produces and audible signal when a child or object has gone beyond a predetermined area or domain.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a child monitoring system which produces familiar voice signals to a child for correction or comfort.
A further object of the invention is to provide a child monitoring system employing microminiaturized GPS technology to provide at least the latitude-longitude coordinates of the child via a selective GPS switch on the monitoring receiver unit of the system.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.